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- Dec 27, 2013
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Every once in a while someone inquires about a titanium alloy "feder," which is a type of European fencing sword that dates back hundreds of years. Feder means feather, and federschwert means feather sword. They're designed to be light at the tip and heavy in the hilt, so as to not carry a dangerous blow, and were used to mimic the longsword in fencing-type sport and competition. The users were called federfechters, which means feather fencers.
en.wikipedia.org
This is a matched pair of titanium alloy prototype feders. They weigh about 2.5 lbs each, and are 53" in total length, with a fairly steep distal blade thickness taper, with flats left forged raw. They're virtually identical in weight, dimension, tune, and balance. The hilts are made of titanium alloys, with the parts welded together and directly to the blade tang itself. An unusual construction, but I had limited time to work...
...they were intended to be used at the SoCal Swordfight HEMA competition last month, but the next-day air post failed to deliver them on time. All is well, as they're currently getting used a bunch amongst a few HEMA schools.
As I suspected, despite being lighter than a steel version of a feder, these are too blade-heavy and stiff for a proper feder. These are hard-hitters and probably way too dangerous for normal HEMA practice. You could 'splode a head like it was a watermelon with one of these, break bones, etc. Comically dangerous for a fencing blunt.
Despite that, they were well-received, and much simpler, more refined, and lighter versions can be made in the future.
Feder history and use is long and interesting, and a worthwhile exploration for the use of titanium alloy in the sword world. I'm glad to apply the skills and knowledge gained from making live swords from ti alloys to the world of fencing and HEMA. It's more like making a high-end, high-performance sporting item, instead of a weapon. There should be some made in the not-too-distant future that are much more appropriate for the intended task, and I greatly look forward to doing it.
Feder (fencing) - Wikipedia
This is a matched pair of titanium alloy prototype feders. They weigh about 2.5 lbs each, and are 53" in total length, with a fairly steep distal blade thickness taper, with flats left forged raw. They're virtually identical in weight, dimension, tune, and balance. The hilts are made of titanium alloys, with the parts welded together and directly to the blade tang itself. An unusual construction, but I had limited time to work...
...they were intended to be used at the SoCal Swordfight HEMA competition last month, but the next-day air post failed to deliver them on time. All is well, as they're currently getting used a bunch amongst a few HEMA schools.
As I suspected, despite being lighter than a steel version of a feder, these are too blade-heavy and stiff for a proper feder. These are hard-hitters and probably way too dangerous for normal HEMA practice. You could 'splode a head like it was a watermelon with one of these, break bones, etc. Comically dangerous for a fencing blunt.
Despite that, they were well-received, and much simpler, more refined, and lighter versions can be made in the future.
Feder history and use is long and interesting, and a worthwhile exploration for the use of titanium alloy in the sword world. I'm glad to apply the skills and knowledge gained from making live swords from ti alloys to the world of fencing and HEMA. It's more like making a high-end, high-performance sporting item, instead of a weapon. There should be some made in the not-too-distant future that are much more appropriate for the intended task, and I greatly look forward to doing it.
